A Hard Fight's End
by cOokIe-MOnzTa
Summary: Natsu & Lucy actually had a fight! How will this escalated fight resolve itself? Will they end up still being friends? Or will it all disappear? What if something else comes out of it, that neither of them planned? Read to find out! Review please, and keep in mind; THIS IS NOT A SONGFIC. Thank you. Rated T because I'm paranoid about the contents.


It was a cloudy day over Magnolia. It wasn't raining, but it looked to be as if it would, very soon. And over at the guild, Fairy Tail, Natsu had just entered. Although, he wasn't his usual self. No, in fact, today Natsu was depressed and in a daze.

At first glance, you'd think that Natsu was just having a rough day… But those who really knew him, knew better than to assume that.

Because those who really knew him, would know that Natsu is one of the most observant, albeit dense at times, mages in Fairy Tail. It isn't exactly in his character to be bumping into 3 fellow guild mates and almost tripping over a few times until he was sitting in a bar stool – 3 barstools down from his usual spot besides Lucy's stool. For Natsu to have been doing all of those things, which he did, would mean that he has something troubling him – big time.

"Oi, ash-for-brains, what's up? You're a bit out of it today." Gray said, sitting down next to Natsu with a passive expression on his face.

"What do you care, stripper?" Natsu retorted. Gray felt his eye twitch.

"I care, Natsu, because you're apart of Fairy Tail. And being apart of Fairy Tail means that you're my comrade – in arms, and not. Even if we do nothing but bicker and fight most of the time, you're still… my friend." Gray said, rendering Natsu with nothing to bite back with. It was the same for Natsu, too, but Natsu would be dead before he admitted it aloud. He was too childish and stubborn to. Natsu sighed.

"It's… It's Luce." Natsu said. Gray became confused.

"What, is she having her 'womanly time'?" Gray asked, causing Natsu to punch him off his chair. "Ouch! What was that for? It was just a question!" Gray argued.

"You stupid icicle! You don't just ask a question like that! That's just… Ugh…" Natsu groaned, putting his head in his hands. "But… No, she's not… It's not that kind of situation." Natsu said. Gray got back on the barstool.

"So, then, what's the problem?" Gray asked.

"We had a fight." Natsu said emotionlessly. Gray became dumbfounded. For Natsu and Lucy to actually have a fight was an almost impossible thing – they were as tight as two people could be! This was a first for Gray.

"You and Lucy had a fight?! An actual _fight_?!" Gray yelled, causing near-by members turned around in shock. Gajeel's jaw dropped, Laxus's eyes bulged, Master choked on his wine, Cana spat out her alcohol, Happy fell off a table, Levy's eyes went wide, Erza was torn between being angry and shocked, Wendy gasped, Pantherlily paled, Charle blinked in surprise, Mira missed the cup and spilled a beverage all over the table whilst staring at Natsu in shock, and even Romeo was gobsmacked.

"Yes, we did. We always bicker, but this time is the first time it got seriously escalated." Natsu said, looking up at the Guild's roof with a sad and tired expression on his face.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… You and Lucy bicker?! Since when?!" Gray asked. Natsu turned to Gray with a frustrated expression on.

"We always bicker. Friendships are never perfect, dumb-shit, so of course there will be arguments here and there… I just never saw this one coming… this fight got so out of hand… I'm not so sure if Luce will forgive me so easily this time…" Natsu said sadly, putting his head in his arms on the bar. In truth, Natsu felt like crying. He'd never been so mean to Lucy, and he hadn't intended to ever be, either… But this time, he screwed up, big time. "I screwed up… I am not sure if Luce and I are friends anymore… I want to be, but Luce… I just don't know anymore…" Natsu said, feeling a tear escape, unbeknownst to those around him.

"Whoa… Just what was this fight about?" Gray whispered, but everyone still heard him just fine. The others leaned in to hear Natsu's answer.

"It… it was… it started out…" Natsu tried to say, but found his throat felt tight. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his head to face Gray, and Gray was genuinely shocked to see Natsu _crying_. "It happened two hours ago, actually… it started out with me telling her how I found Happy as an egg, and she made a joke about how I was able to take care of Happy, even though I was just a kid myself, and I didn't realise at the time it was a joke…" Natsu said, retelling what had happened.

"…_And that's pretty much everything that happened between me and Happy, before you came into the picture!" Natsu said happily, grinning at Lucy. Lucy chuckled._

"_Honestly, I'm ever so shocked to find that the almighty Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Dragon-Slayer mage of Fairy Tail, was able to take care of a cat! Especially since you were the most bone-headed back then! What I wouldn't have given to see your 'parenting' to Happy!" Lucy laughed louder, clutching her sides. She expected Natsu to laugh with her, but instead, when she stopped laughing, she saw that he looked hurt, instead. About to apologise for the bad joke, Natsu cut her off._

"_That wasn't very nice, Luce… I wasn't that bad!" Natsu said, very much hurt._

"_Natsu, I didn't mean to–" Lucy was cut off._

"_How would you like it if I picked on your lack of attention to Michelle? It'd hurt, wouldn't it? Your jab at my 'parenting' hurts, too." Natsu argued. Lucy bristled._

"_Natsu, it was a joke! I'm sorry I upset you, but don't go bringing Michelle into this like that! I realised my mistake of not taking care of her, and I fixed it! I take good care of her now!" Lucy retorted._

"_Yeah, and how many years later was it when you realised your mistake? Seven? No, longer than that… Fourteen? No, longer than that too! Oh, that's right, it was over sixteen years later! When you're all grown up and live alone!" Natsu bristled. Lucy's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe he just said that._

"_Natsu, stop it. I said I was sorry. You have no right to say that." Lucy said, close to tears. Natsu's own hurt was still present though, even if he felt bad for making her cry._

"_Why should I? You hurt me, so it's only fair if I hurt you back, isn't it?" Natsu said, crossing his arms._

"_I didn't mean it!" Lucy said. Natsu's eyes narrowed._

"_You totally meant it. Otherwise you wouldn't have even said it." Natsu said, making Lucy glare at him._

"_Natsu, I'd meant it as a joke! That's it! A joke! It's not my fault that Igneel didn't teach you how to take a joke!" Lucy snapped. Natsu's jaw dropped, and Lucy slapped a hand over her mouth. Now, she couldn't believe she said something so insensitive._

"_Oh my gosh, I am so sorry…" Lucy said, tearing up again. She regretted saying that from the bottom of her heart, but Natsu could only stare at her in deeper hurt._

"_That… was crossing the line, Luce." Natsu raspily said, blinking his own tears back. "You don't see me bringing up your dad, do you? I merely took a jab at your own irresponsibility towards Michelle, since you took a jab at my 'parenting' with Happy… How could you say that to me? After you know how Igneel's a touchy subject for me? I have never, ever, mentioned your father. But since you mentioned mine, I may as well, now shouldn't I?" Natsu growled, with teary eyes. Lucy shook her head 'no', not wanting to revisit those memories because they still tore her heart apart when she thought about them, even if she currently deserved it for that low blow the unintentionally made._

"_Your father should have taught you more 'right and wrong's – even I'm not so heartless as to bring up someone's past in such a manner, unless they deserved it. I sure as hell didn't need the reminder about my own father abandoning me." Natsu said coldly. Lucy's heart tore._

"_And I didn't need the reminder that at least your father loved you! Mine was nothing but cold to me! I guess that's where I got my 'heartlessness' from… Thanks, Natsu, for the trip to memory lane. Filled with nothing but memories I wish I never had. I don't want to see you again!" Lucy shouted, her tears finally falling, as she ran away. Natsu's own heart plummeted. She was right – even if his father abandoned him, at least Igneel loved him as a son. Lucy's father was a complete jerk._

_Natsu had never felt more broken than in that moment, where he watched Lucy run away from him, with the look of an abandoned child on his face. He sorely wished he could take back everything he said, but realised it was too late. And so, Natsu headed to the guild, holding back his tears more and more with every step he took._

"…and that's what happened." Natsu said, more tears going down his face. "I never intended it to go so far… I just wanted her to know how much her comment hurt me, but instead she took it to the next level – even if it was just an accident – and I just… I couldn't…" Natsu trailed off, his throat tightening again, and he looked at the bar with a numb expression on his face. He even felt numb, as he cried silently. The girls near by started to cry, whilst the guys just looked at Natsu sadly.

"I didn't know Bunny-girl could be so heartless…" Gajeel grunted out. Levy turned to him angrily.

"Lu-chan is not heartless! She really does care about Natsu!" Levy argued. Gajeel glared at her.

"If she cared, then the one thing she'd be sure to never do, is bring up Igneel! Hell, I would have reacted the same way Natsu did, if they brought up Metalicana like that!" Gajeel told her. Levy smacked Gajeel's arm.

"Lu-chan didn't mean it, though! She even apologised!"

"Doesn't matter. Bunny-girl still said it, whether she'd meant it or not. If you were in Natsu's shoes, you wouldn't take it so well, now would you?" Gajeel pointed out, making Levy roll her eyes.

"That's beside the point! The point is that Lu-chan tried to say sorry, many times, but Natsu wouldn't let her!" She argued again.

"She started it! And besides, if she didn't mean it then she wouldn't have even brought up Igneel in the first place!" Gajeel retorted.

"It was an accident!" Levy tried to persuade him, but failed.

"Accident or not, it actually does hurt when someone slanders you parent like that! Bunny-girl had that one coming the second she'd even thought about bringing up Igneel!" Gajeel bit back.

"She didn't have anything coming, you insensitive jack-ass!" Levy snapped, causing everyone, even Natsu, to blink in surprise. Levy almost never had such a mouth on her.

"Yes, she did. Put your god damn loyalty to Bunny-girl aside for a minute and think logically! She slandered Natsu's parent, so it's only fair that Natsu slandered hers!" Gajeel said, recovering from the slight shock.

"Not if it were an accident, Gajeel! She didn't need the reminder!" Levy yelled, a last resort in defending her friend.

"And neither did Natsu!" Gajeel yelled at Levy, making her shrink back. "Bunny girl didn't have it as bad as he did!" Gajeel said, quieter.

"And how would that be?! Lu-chan's father was horrible to her! She didn't need that painful reminder!" Levy said.

"Even so, Wendy, Natsu & I would have rather had a parent to take care of us at all. At least Bunny-girl had a human parent. Even if he was a bastard… We'd rather have had a cold human father that we ran away from, rather than a caring dragon foster-parent that just up and abandons you at a young age with no good-byes! At least Lucy had the chances to say that! We sure as hell didn't see our dragons leaving coming!" Gajeel said coldly. Levy flinched, and realised she couldn't come back with a retort. Even so, she was still on Lucy's side. Natsu shouldn't have brought up her father, even if she brought up his first. It was an accident, after all. Everyone besides Levy and Gajeel, who just glared at each other, then looked sadly at Natsu – who was now walking towards the guild's entrance, not wanting to keep hearing about Igneel. Natsu walked out like an abused puppy, heading on to his home.

Walking slowly, Natsu kept thinking about the fight. He really hadn't meant for it to be so upsetting, but things just… turned out that way… And now, Lucy didn't even want to see his face anymore.

Natsu took the route going through Strawberry Street home. As he was going past Lucy's house, he'd stopped walking for a moment and stared at Lucy's apartment.

"I'm sorry… I am so, so sorry, Luce…" Natsu whispered, a tear falling again, before turning back to the road ahead and beginning to walk home again. Natsu felt hollow inside, like someone had just ripped his insides out. He hated the fight with a passion. _I wish it never happened... I wish I could just go back in time and undo the fight, replacing it with a make-out or something inst– whoa, wait… What? _Natsu thought, stopping short as he realised what he'd just mentally said._ Making-out? Where'd that come from? I mean, I love Luce… But I don't love her like that, do I?_ Natsu questioned himself. Natsu was almost home, so he'd spent the rest of the time he was travelling, thinking about it. By the time he'd reached his door handle, he came to the conclusion that he liked Lucy – as more than a friend – but was still unsure if he was 'in love'. He knew that his new-found feelings were like what those romance books, that Lucy had, often described.

Your heart usually beats fast when around them, you get more protective of them than over anyone else, you can't help but smile around them, you hate it when they are upset, you always enjoy hearing their laughter, you love their smile, you always want to hold them, they bring out the 'butterflies' in your stomach when they're around, you'd do anything for them, you'd always go save them from danger… The list could really go on…

And Natsu felt all of those things, but wasn't sure if that was just 'like' or if it was 'love'.

Opening his door, Natsu was given the shock of a life-time once he'd entered his house.

Lucy was sitting down by his hammock, her head resting on it, and she was asleep.

Natsu felt his heart beat faster, and a slight blush rose on his cheeks when he saw how beautiful she looked. Even if she looked troubled in her sleep. Walking over silently to her, he knelt down and was about to lift her up to put her on his hammock, when she spoke in her sleep.

"N… Nat…su… S-sorry… Natsu… lo… love… you…" She whispered, making Natsu's face then rival Erza's hair. _She… loves me? Lucy loves me?_ Natsu thought. At first he was absolutely shocked, but when it sank in, Natsu then became more happy than he ever thought he would, since the fight. He was so distracted with the thought of Lucy loving him, that he didn't notice Lucy waking up to see his blushing, yet smiling, face.

"N-Natsu!" Lucy gasped, snapping Natsu's attention to her.

"Luce, I–" Natsu began.

"Natsu, wait… It's my fault… Let me talk?" Lucy asked him, giving him a puppy-dog look. Natsu then nodded, feeling weak to those large chocolate eyes of hers. He wasn't hurt by the fight anymore, he just wanted his best friend back. And, maybe, as something more than just best friends.

"Natsu, I am so sorry… It's my fault because I pulled a nasty joke, a joke in which I can totally understand you not appreciating, and it wasn't even all that funny… I hurt you once, with that joke. I deserved that jab about Michelle, even if I didn't like it, after that. And then I hurt you twice, by bringing up Igneel in such a way… I deserved the comment about my father, too. See, thing is, when I was mad… I realised that even if I had a terrible father back then… at least I had a human father… you didn't… you had a dragon… And even if my father was terrible to me, it was I who left the manor… you had a caring dragon that just up and left you with no explanations or anything… he only left you a scarf… there is a big difference between running away and being abandoned… I really did cross the line back there, and no matter how much I want to, I can't take it back…" Lucy said, her bottom lip trembling. Natsu ached to hold her close, to tell her he forgave her a while ago, buthe knew she had to finish.

"Natsu, I was out of line, in more reasons than one… I am so, so sorry… I take back what I said, including the whole 'never want to see you again' thing… I am so sorry…" Lucy said, embracing Natsu and crying into his shoulder. Natsu held her close, and let her cry. He waited until she calmed down, before he began.

"Luce, it's okay. I forgave you a while ago… I can't even begin to explain to you how broken I felt when I watched you run away. I am just so happy you actually do want to see me again." Natsu told her, clutching onto her slightly tighter than he already was. "Lucy, I can only pray that you forgive me… Even if it was just a joke, I took the retort too far… I must've hurt you more than you did me… I never want to fight with you like that again… It's not worth the feeling that comes with it, and after it." Natsu said, and he felt Lucy nod against him.

"It's okay, I forgive you. We were both in the wrong, but it was my fault in the first place… I can't tell you how sorry I am…" Lucy said, and Natsu chuckled.

"It's fine. Let's just… Promise to never let our fights get that heated ever again?" Natsu proposed, and Lucy giggled.

"Deal." She agreed. The two just sat like that, holding each other, for a long time. But, after a while, Natsu broke the embrace.

"Um, Luce… I just… C-can I tell you something without you getting mad at me?" Natsu asked, nervous. Lucy raised a delicate brow.

"Depends on what it is… Will I like what you say, or not?"

"I dunno, that's why I'm at least asking that you don't yell and/or hit me?" Natsu asked, and Lucy hesitantly agreed.

"Ok, I can at least do that much." Lucy said. Natsu gulped.

"Um, well… Y-you sleep-talk…" Natsu admitted, and Lucy just rolled her eyes.

"Um, yeah. I know that. I have since I was five. So what?" Lucy asked.

"Well," Natsu gulped again, backing off a bit, "when I got home… and saw you asleep against my hammock…" Natsu trailed off, and Lucy suddenly realised why Natsu requested she not hit or yell at him.0

"What did I say?" Lucy asked quietly, Natsu hesitated.

"You said… 'Natsu, sorry' at first… and then… you'd said 'Love you'…" Natsu said, and Lucy's face became horrified.

"I am so sorry! You didn't need to hear that! I'm sorry! I meant to keep it a secret since you're in love with Lisanna, so I am so sorry you heard that!" Lucy said, panicked. She got up and headed for the door. "I'm sorry, I'll leave now." She said.

Her hand had only just touched the door handle, when Natsu walked up behind her and pulled her back into an embrace. Lucy froze.

"Luce, I'm not in love with Lisanna. She's merely my childhood crush, and a close friend… Luce, I don't love her. I swear." Natsu whispered into Lucy's ear. Lucy then became confused.

"You… don't? I thought, since she came back, that you wanted to be together with her again… Since you were childhood sweethearts…"Lucy said, causing Natsu to chuckle.

"Luce, when I thought Lisanna died, my feelings went with her. When she came back, I was only glad to have had my friend back. I don't love her – I haven't for a long time. Luce, I'm not exactly sure… if it's 'love' or 'like' but… Luce, it's you I like… or love… which ever one I'm feeling right now…" Natsu said, laughing at the last part. Lucy blushed.

"W-well… Do you want to kiss me?" Lucy asked, Natsu was puzzled at her sudden question, but went along with it.

"Yeah." He admitted, pulling away to look at her.

"Do you want to date me?" She asked, and Natsu smiled gently at her.

"Sure, I do." He told her.

"That's liking then… Now, answer this; can you see a future without me in it?" Lucy asked. Natsu blinked, and thought about it… He tried to see a future without Lucy in it, but…

"…No, I can't. If you're not there, I can't see anything… I just can't imagine it… you gotta be there, or I can't see anything." Natsu said, smiling crookedly at Lucy. Lucy smiled lovingly back.

"Then that solves your riddle. Kissing, dating, all that stuff you could like or love that person… But to be unable to see a future without that person, then you're in love." Lucy confirmed. Natsu smiled brilliantly.

"Nice to know I fell in love with my best friend, then. I love you, Luce." Natsu said, his heart thumping hard against his chest.

"I love you, too, Natsu." Lucy replied. One of Natsu's hands went to Lucy's cheek, whilst the other stayed wrapped around her waist. Lucy's hands wrapped themselves around Natsu's neck, and one of them knotted into Natsu's hair. They leaned in, and were about to kiss, when they were interrupted.

"Natsu, are you oka– WAH! Sorry!" Happy said, going back out the door when he saw the position Natsu & Lucy were in. The two looked back at Happy, their faces being a scarlet shade.

"H-H-HAPPY! W-WAIT!" Natsu said, and let go of Lucy so he could chase his feline friend. Lucy chased after Natsu.

By the time Natsu caught up with Happy, they'd arrived back into the guild and Natsu had to launch himself off a table to catch Happy in mid-air, before falling and crashing into another table.

"Geez, Happy! Wait when I tell you to wait, damn it!" Natsu scolded the feline, his hand over Happy's mouth. Happy nodded.

"Natsu! Are you and Happy alright?" Lucy asked, panicked. Everyone else looked between the two, confused.

"Yeah, we're fine." Natsu grinned at her, making her sigh in relief and walk over to them with a smile on her face. She'd only just crouched down to Natsu and Happy's level when Mira spoke up.

"Are you two okay now?" Mira asked. "You've made up?"

"Huh?" Lucy said, and Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, we're good now." Natsu said, and Lucy realised what she'd meant.

"Oh, that… Yeah, it's okay now, Mira. We've apologised to each other. Everything's forgiven." Lucy said, earning relieved sighs from the guild.

"Oh, hey, Luce?" Natsu said, bringing her attention back to him. Lucy smiled and looked back at him.

"Yes?"

"I didn't get to finish…" Natsu said, making the others confused. Even Lucy.

"I'm sorry? What didn't you get to finish?" She asked.

"This!" Natsu cheerily said, as he grabbed the back of her head and brought it close enough to his so that he could kiss her, which he did. That one simple action caused half the guild to go slack-jawed. Lucy, however, blushed and melted into the kiss. Her responded like that, made Wendy, Mira and Levy faint.

After a moment, Gray got over the shock and grinned.

"Get a room, you two!" He shouted, causing everyone to break out of their shock and laugh. Natsu didn't break it, but he did grin into the kiss and let go of Happy and flipped Gray the bird. Gray just laughed louder.

Natsu then broke the kiss, so that they could both breathe. Lucy smiled and pecked his lips again, before looking over to see that some of the girls had fainted. Panicked, she headed over to arouse them from their unconsciousness. Natsu just smiled lovingly after her, and got up from his crash-site. He walked on over to Gray, who congratulated him on 'finally getting the girl'.


End file.
